Lottery ticket with play action game involving predetermined set of sequential icons

ABSTRACT

A lottery ticket which provides a first grid comprised of rows and columns defining individual play regions covered by a scratch-off layer with each play region containing a sequential theme related icon selected from a predetermined set of sequential icons with the lottery ticket being provided by a prize designation region associated with each row and column.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a lottery ticket having a play area containing a grid of rows and columns of individual play regions covered by a scratch-off layer in which each of the play regions beneath the scratch-off layer contains an icon from a preselected set of sequential icons such that completion of the sequential set of icons can result in a prize being won.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Scratch-off lottery tickets are well known forms of entertainment and are typically sponsored by government organizations (e.g. State or National Lottery Commissions). The games played on lottery tickets provide a source of amusement to the players and the opportunity to win a prize. Scratch-off lottery tickets are popular because they provide an instant win feature enabling the player to win a prize and know if a prize is won at the time the purchase of the lottery ticket is made.

The lottery industry has made extensive efforts to raise the level of amusement of lottery games played on scratch-off lottery tickets. The development of a lottery game for a scratch-off ticket is limited in part by the nature of how lottery tickets are produced including limitations arising from the techniques used to print lottery tickets.

There is a well known game of amusement offered in magazines and newspapers identified by the trademark “Sudoku” in which a series of rows and columns of individual play regions is formed into a grid. Each row and column contains nine individual play regions. The grid is subdivided into nine subgrids each containing nine individual play regions. A few of these play regions are marked with a visible number selected from 1 to 9, and thus a portion of the puzzle is provided to the player. The player inserts numbers in those individual play regions which are not marked with numbers so that each row and column of nine individual play regions contains a series of numbers of 1-9 with no duplication. The game takes skill because the player must be able to anticipate which numbers are available for each individual play region in order to properly complete the rows, columns and subgrids of numbers.

The present invention seeks to provide a game suitable for a lottery ticket which is reminiscent of the games offered under the trademark “Sudoku” but takes into account the constraints associated with lottery tickets and furthermore provides a framework by which the user can obtain a prize as is customary with scratch-off lottery tickets.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is generally directed to a lottery ticket for playing a game in a variety of formats which is reminiscent of a game played in magazines and newspapers known by the trademark “Sudoku”. The lottery ticket of the present invention takes into account the constraints and limitations in the printing of lottery tickets and the offering of games in connection therewith while at the same time offering the opportunity for the player to win a prize.

In a particular aspect of the present invention there is provided a lottery ticket comprising:

-   -   a) a front surface comprising a first play area, said first play         area containing a first grid comprised of first rows and first         columns of individual play regions covered by a scratch-off         layer, each first play region containing a sequential theme         related icon selected from a predetermined set of sequential         icons; and     -   b) a first prize designation region providing information about         the winning of a prize,         wherein the player removes the scratch-off layer to expose the         icon appearing in each first play region and if at least one         first row and/or first column contains the predetermined set of         sequential icons, the player wins the prize in the prize         designation region. The prize designation region may be         associated with each of said at least one first row or first         column.

In a further aspect of the invention, the first grid further comprises a row identifying indicia and a column identifying indicia so that each row is identified by a single row identifying indicia and each column is identified by a single column identifying indicia. Each first play region is therefore identified by a combination indicia comprising a single row identifying indicia and a single column identifying indicia. The lottery ticket of this embodiment further comprises a second play area comprising a plurality of second play regions, at least some of the second play regions each containing a single combination indicia which is covered by a scratch-off layer.

In a still further aspect of the invention there is also provided a third play area which is a substantial duplicate of the Sudoku type of game. The third play area contains a third grid comprised of third rows and third columns of individual play regions, some of which contain a sequential theme related icon selected from the predetermined set of sequential icons. The remaining individual play regions do not contain icons. The player uses a writing instrument to insert other icons in each of the remaining individual play regions in an effort to complete the game of amusement.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following drawings in which like reference characters indicate like parts are illustrative of embodiments of the invention and are not intended to limit the invention as encompassed by the full disclosure of the application.

FIG. 1 is a top view of the front surface of a lottery ticket of a first embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of a second embodiment of the invention similar to FIG. 1 in which no icons are provided on the scratch-off layer;

FIG. 3 is a further embodiment of the invention similar to FIG. 1 including a second play area;

FIG. 4 is a further embodiment of the invention similar to FIG. 3 except that the first play area does not have icons printed on the scratch-off layer;

FIG. 5 is an embodiment of the invention similar to FIG. 3 after the game has been played by the player showing a winning ticket; and

FIG. 6 is a still further embodiment of the invention similar to FIG. 3 including a third game area.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a lottery ticket and particularly to a game played on a lottery ticket in which a grid is comprised of rows and columns, the object of which is to provide a game reminiscent of a game commonly known as Sudoku despite the limitations placed on the printing of lottery tickets and the need to provide the opportunity to win a prize. The lottery ticket is provided with at least a first play area containing a grid comprised of rows and columns of individual play regions each containing an icon with each of the icons selected from a predetermined set of sequential icons. The object of the game is to complete within a row or column or within an optional subgrid within the main grid the sequential set of icons so that a prize may be won. A prize designation area is provided on the lottery ticket and may be particularly associated with individual rows and columns. An optional prize designation area is provided if subgrids are present so that the player can visually determine that a prize has been won. In this feature of the lottery ticket, determination of whether a prize is won is controlled by the lottery sponsor and not by the player.

The term “predetermined set of sequential icons” refers to a fixed number of icons that have no duplicates. The icons must be from a recognizable set, either known to the player or provided in the instructions accompanying the lottery ticket. The most common example of a predetermined set of sequential icons is the numbers 1-9. Although this particular sequential set of icons is disclosed in the drawings, it will be understood that a smaller or larger number of icons may be used and the icons themselves need not be numbers. Examples of other suitable icons include letters, colors, animals (e.g. Santa's reindeer), historical figures, historical events and the like. Accordingly, the lottery ticket can be developed with different themes such as a holiday theme, historic celebrations, and the like, hence the term “theme related sequential icons”. All that is required is that the icons have either a recognized sequence (i.e. the player can observe that there are no duplicates) or a sequence that can be provided in the instructions for playing a lottery ticket game.

If the numbers 1-9 are chosen as the predetermined set of sequential icons, the grid will contain 81 individual play regions (i.e. 9 play regions in each row and 9 play regions in each column.) It will be understood that the number of icons in the predetermined set of sequential icons may be more or less than nine which will result in a more or less number of rows and columns.

Referring to FIG. 1 there is shown an embodiment of the present invention in which the lottery ticket 2 has a front face 4 having thereon a play area 6. It will be understood that only the play area 6 is shown on the front face 4 of the lottery ticket. Conventional graphics and promotional information as well as validation/authentication information may appear on the front face of the lottery ticket but are not shown. The play area 6 includes a series of rows 8 and columns 10 each containing a predetermined number of individual play regions 12 (e.g. 9 play regions appear in each row and column). In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the play area 6 is covered with an opaque scratch-off layer 14, The entire play area 6 is covered with the scratch-off layer 14 thereby hiding from view play indicia or icons 16 from the predetermined set of sequential icons (see FIG. 5) which is printed beneath the scratch-off layer. The term “play indicia” are those particular icons that appear on a particular lottery ticket to play the game whereas the term “icon” refers, as previously described to the many different types of symbols that may comprise a predetermined set of sequential icons. The terms “play indicia” and “icons” will be used interchangeably in describing the embodiments which appear in the drawings.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, there is printed on the scratch-off layer some, but not all of the play indicia 16 in the corresponding play regions 12. For example, in the lefthandmost column the play indicia (number 1) is printed in the second individual play region of the column. The same number 1 appears below the scratch-off layer which hides that number from view. As previously indicated, the drawings depict play indicia in the form of numbers 1-9 as representative of the type of icons that may be used for the sequential set of icons to play the game. Other icons as previously described may be used in place of numbers.

The embodiment of FIG. 1 also shows the presence of nine subgrids 18 each containing the same number of play regions (9) as each individual row 8 and column 10.

Adjacent the lefthandmost column is a first prize designation area 20 having a prize amount 22 associated with each row 8. Thus, the topmost row has associated therewith in the first prize designation area 20 a prize amount of $5. If the lottery ticket and particularly the topmost row has all icons of the predetermined set of sequential icons (i.e. numbers 1-9) appearing in the row without duplication, then a prize of $5 may be awarded.

There is also provided a second prize designation area 24 having a prize amount 26 associated with each column. For example the lefthandmost column has associated therewith a prize amount of $20. If the lefthandmost column contains all of the icons of the predetermined set of sequential icons, then the prize amount of $20 may be awarded.

It will be understood that the prize designation area need not be directly adjacent the rows and columns. A separate prize designation area may be provided with all of the information necessary for the player to determine if a prize has been won and the amount of the prize.

An optional prize designation area 25 may be provided if optional subgrids 18 are used to award prizes. As shown in FIG. 1, a prize designation area 25 is in the form of a “Bonus” for the completion of any subgrid with all of the icons of the predetermined set of icons.

The awarding of a prize and whether or not a ticket is a winning ticket is controlled by the lottery sponsor as there is no skill required to win a prize. The numbers that are printed beneath the scratch-off layer in each of the individual play regions are predetermined so that the game itself and the outcome are predetermined. However, through the use of the removable scratch-off layer, the player can play the game by removing the scratch-off layer in the individual play regions to gain a sense of playing the game as if the outcome was not controlled.

The play indicia appearing on top of the scratch-off layer may be applied in the same manner as disclosed in U.S. Reissue Pat. No. Re. 34,673 which is incorporated herein by reference. The play indicia appearing on the top of the scratch-off layer may also be applied in the same manner as disclosed through the use of a non-opaque scratch-off layer such as the use of a dual transparent system as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,076,860 also incorporated herein by reference. It will be understood that the number of play indicia which appears above the scratch-off layer can vary although, obviously, the number of play indicia appearing above the scratch-off layer must be less than the number of individual play regions.

In a further embodiment of the invention, none of the play indicia appear above the scratch-off layer. Referring to FIG. 2, the scratch-off layer has none of the play indicia appearing thereon. The player may simply remove the scratch-off layer from the entire play area to reveal the play indicia below the scratch-off layer or as described in connection with FIG. 1, may remove the scratch-off layer from the individual play regions to simulate playing the game even though the outcome is predetermined.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the player does not receive the benefit of all of the play indicia appearing in the individual play regions of the first play area. In this regard, and referring to FIG. 3, there is provided a second play area 27 comprised of a series of rows 28 and columns 30 defining a plurality of individual play regions 32 covered by a scratch-off layer 34. Beneath the scratch-off layer 34 appears combination indicia 36 (see FIG. 5) which identifies a particular individual play region 12 within the play area 6 which the player may expose by removing the scratch-off layer 14 therefrom. Reference is made to FIG. 5 showing combination indicia (represented by the letters IJ) lying beneath the scratch-off layer 34. It will be understood that the combination indicia can comprise a variety of different types of icons (e.g. numbers, historic symbols, etc.) so long as the combination indicia is able to identify a particular individual play region 12 within the play area 6.

In this embodiment of the invention, the play area 6 is provided with a row identifying indicia region 38 (represented by the letters A-I) and column identifying indicia region 40 showing the identification of each column by the letters J-R.

The game showed in FIG. 3 is played when the user exposes the combination indicia 36 appearing in the second play area 27 by removing the scratch-off layer 34 therefrom. The player then goes to the individual row and column in the first play area 6 which corresponds to the combination indicia 36 and exposes the play indicia 16 appearing thereunder by removing the scratch-off layer therefrom. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the player will expose less than all of the play indicia 16 appearing in the play area 6 as shown in FIG. 5. A prize will be won as shown in FIG. 5 if at least one of the rows, columns or subgrids contains all of the predetermined sequential icons without duplication. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, a $15 prize is awarded because all of the sequential icons are exposed in the bottommost row. Similarly a prize of $20 is awarded because all of the sequential icons are exposed in column “D”.

The scratch-off layer 34 will be opaque in order to hide from view the particular combination indicia 36 that will be used to play the game. However, one or a small number of the individual play regions 32 in the second play area 27 may be exposed to reveal combination indicia 36 as an enticement to purchase a ticket and play the game.

For example, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the combination indicia “ER” is exposed in the second play area. The individual play region corresponding to “ER” in the first play area 6 appears in column “E”. The prize designation area 24 shows a $50,000 prize if column “E” is completed. One way of exposing the individual play region 32 bearing the combination indicia “ER” in the second play area 27 is to apply the dual transparent marking system of U.S. Pat. No. 6,076,860.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3-5 the first play area may be provided with one or more marking systems to enable the player to visually observe which individual play regions have been exposed and the combination indicia employed to play the game. Such marking systems include those disclosed in U.S. Reissue Pat. No. 34,673, the dual transparent system of U.S. Pat. No. 6,076,860, and the border marking system of U.S. Pat. No. 5,386,985, each of which is incorporated herein by reference. The border marking system comprises a border surrounding an individual play region having a color different from the color of the scratch-off layer above it, wherein when the scratch-off layer is removed the border surrounding the individual play region is exposed in a visually distinctive color different from the color of the removed scratch-off layer.

In a still further embodiment of the invention as shown in FIG. 6, the same game as provided in FIG. 3 also includes a third play area 42 which includes rows 44 and columns 46 and subgrids 48 as described above. However, the third play area does not include play indicia printed below a scratch-off layer. There is no scratch-off layer in the third play area 42 but there is provided indicia 50 printed in some of the play regions 52 of the rows 44 and columns 46. The play area 42 may be completed by the player by inserting indicia within the unmarked individual play regions. In this way, the player can partake in a game of amusement (no prizes awarded) wherein one of the games may be a Sudoku type game in which the player attempts to complete the rows, columns and grids with a complete set of predetermined sequential icons.

In a further aspect of the invention shown in FIG. 6, the indicia provided in the individual play regions of the third play area is the same as those appearing in the first play area on top of the scratch-off layer. Beneath the scratch-off layer in the first play area are the remaining indicia which completes the puzzle by providing the predetermined sequential set of icons in all of the rows, columns and subgrids. These indicia correspond to the indicia which would be inserted by the player to properly complete the third play area. The first play area therefore provides the solution for completing the third play area. Thus, if the player does not want the solution but instead wants to complete the third play area on his own, he should play the third play area first then proceed to play the game associated with the first and second play areas. In this way, the player can play the game in the first play area to see if a prize has been won and play the game in the third play area as a non-prize winning form of amusement. 

1. A lottery ticket comprising: a) a front surface comprising a first play area, said first play area containing a first grid comprised of first rows and first columns of individual play regions covered by a first scratch-off layer, each first play region containing a sequential theme related icon selected from a predetermined set of sequential icons; b) a first prize designation region providing information about the winning of a prize; wherein the player removes the scratch-off layer to expose the icon appearing in each first play region and if at least one first row and/or first column contains the predetermined set of sequential icons the player wins the prize in the first prize designation region.
 2. The lottery ticket of claim 1 wherein the icons are numbers.
 3. The lottery ticket of claim 1 further comprising at least one second grid at least partially contained within the first grid and comprising second rows and second columns comprising less than all of the individual first play regions of the first rows and first columns, and a second prize designation area associated with each of said second grids.
 4. The lottery ticket of claim 1 wherein the first scratch-off layer is opaque.
 5. The lottery ticket of claim 1 further comprising a marking system associated with the first scratch-off layer, said marking system containing icons corresponding to the icons printed below the first scratch-off layer for less than all of the first play regions.
 6. The lottery ticket of claim 5 wherein the first scratch-off layer employed for the marking system is transparent.
 7. The lottery ticket of claim 1 wherein the first grid further comprises row and column identifying indicia so that each row is identified by a single row identifying indicia and each column is identified by a single column identifying indicia, each first play region is thereby identified by a combination of indicia comprising a single row identifying indicia and a single column identifying indicia, said lottery ticket further comprising a second play area comprising a plurality of second play regions, at least some of the second play regions containing a single combination indicia, and said second play area being covered by a second scratch-off layer.
 8. The lottery ticket of claim 7 wherein the second scratch-off layer is opaque.
 9. The lottery ticket of claim 8 wherein a select group of at least one individual play regions are covered by a non-opaque scratch-off layer.
 10. The lottery ticket of claim 9 wherein the non-opaque scratch-off layer is transparent.
 11. The lottery ticket of claim 7 wherein the second play area is comprised of rows and columns.
 12. The lottery ticket of claim 7 further comprising a border marking system comprising a border region surrounding each first play region having a color different than the color of the first scratch-off layer, wherein when the first scratch-off layer is removed from said first play region, the border surrounding the same is exposed enabling the player to mark said first play region.
 13. The lottery ticket of claim 7 further comprising a third play area containing a third grid comprised of third rows and third columns of individual play regions, some of the individual play regions having designated icons marked therein and the remaining individual play regions being unmarked adapted to be completed by the player wherein the player completes the unmarked individual play regions in a manner which provides the sequential set of icons.
 14. The lottery ticket of claim 13 wherein the third grid, when properly completed by the player, contains the same pattern of preselected set of icons as the first grid.
 15. The lottery ticket of claim 7 wherein the combination indicia present in at least one second play region is visible to the player while the remaining combination indicia in the second play region is hidden by the second scratch-off layer.
 16. The lottery ticket of claim 1 wherein the first prize designation region is associated with at least one row and/or first column. 